Ben Gifford (JD 11) Comes Home to Pepperdine Law

June 20, 2017 | 2 min read

As Advancement’s new Director of Law Associates, Ben Gifford is no stranger to Pepperdine. A graduate of Pepperdine Law (JD ‘11), Gifford returns to the School of Law this summer, a place for which he holds an immense sense of gratitude and loyalty. Over the past several years, Gifford has been a practicing attorney in Colorado, a combat infantry Marine deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and a dedicated father. He returns to start an exciting new chapter within the Pepperdine community, fully engaged and prepared to build and maintain the meaningful relationships the school shares with its graduates. Ben, his wife Sara, and their five children reside in Thousand Oaks, California.

Gifford notes that the success of the law school is predicated on alumni and student relationships, and he wants to foster and develop these relationships while building a strong culture of giving. Gifford observed the Class of 2017’s development of the Student Emergency Fund (SEF) as a model for the law school’s future success on a broader level. The SEF is a student initiated fund that raises financial resources for current law students who may have immediate and pressing needs during their law school journey. Gifford states “I was amazed at how powerful and far reaching this campaign was and continues to be – how a heart for the welfare of one’s fellow students, started by two current students, blossomed into a meaningful fund that will assist Pepperdine Law students for years to come.” Gifford is prepared to get to work immediately and intends to make the continued growth and sustainment of the Student Emergency Fund a priority. In addition, Gifford is excited to commence the 2017 Bar Lunch Program campaign, as he aims to maintain the success of this popular effort.

Gifford tells School of Law alumni and students – “I look forward to hearing your valuable thoughts and ideas for how we might better partner with you to continue to make this law school unrivaled in its capacity to equip young students for successful legal careers and to serve this world for a higher purpose and with a heart for serving others.”

Pepperdine's School of Law provides a superior legal education that aligns personal values with areas of interest, such as dispute resolution, religion, public interest, criminal, and entertainment law.